diff --git a/src/reference.hpp b/src/reference.hpp
index c41690e..62129bd 100644
--- a/src/reference.hpp
+++ b/src/reference.hpp
@@ -103,7 +103,10 @@ struct ControlBlock {
 } // namespace detail
 
 template <typename T> struct Ref {
-  T *get() {
+  /**
+   * @brief Get raw pointer to managed object
+   */
+  T *get() const {
     if (!control_block)
       return nullptr;
     constexpr size_t cb_size = sizeof(detail::ControlBlock);
@@ -114,12 +117,120 @@ template <typename T> struct Ref {
                                  padded_cb_size);
   }
 
-private:
-  explicit Ref(detail::ControlBlock *cb) : control_block(cb) {}
+  /**
+   * @brief Dereference operator
+   */
+  T &operator*() const { return *get(); }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Arrow operator
+   */
+  T *operator->() const { return get(); }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Check if Ref is valid (not empty)
+   */
+  explicit operator bool() const noexcept { return control_block != nullptr; }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Destructor - decrements strong reference count
+   */
+  ~Ref() { release(); }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Copy constructor - increments strong reference count
+   */
+  Ref(const Ref &other) noexcept : control_block(other.control_block) {
+    if (control_block) {
+      control_block->increment_strong();
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Copy assignment operator
+   */
+  Ref &operator=(const Ref &other) noexcept {
+    if (this != &other) {
+      release();
+      control_block = other.control_block;
+      if (control_block) {
+        control_block->increment_strong();
+      }
+    }
+    return *this;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Move constructor - transfers ownership
+   */
+  Ref(Ref &&other) noexcept : control_block(other.control_block) {
+    other.control_block = nullptr;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Move assignment operator
+   */
+  Ref &operator=(Ref &&other) noexcept {
+    if (this != &other) {
+      release();
+      control_block = other.control_block;
+      other.control_block = nullptr;
+    }
+    return *this;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Reset to empty state
+   */
+  void reset() noexcept {
+    release();
+    control_block = nullptr;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Equality comparison
+   */
+  bool operator==(const Ref &other) const noexcept {
+    return control_block == other.control_block;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Inequality comparison
+   */
+  bool operator!=(const Ref &other) const noexcept { return !(*this == other); }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Default constructor - creates empty Ref
+   */
   Ref() : control_block(nullptr) {}
 
+private:
+  explicit Ref(detail::ControlBlock *cb) : control_block(cb) {}
+
   detail::ControlBlock *control_block;
 
+  /**
+   * @brief Release current reference and handle cleanup
+   */
+  void release() noexcept {
+    if (control_block) {
+      uint64_t prev = control_block->decrement_strong();
+      uint32_t prev_strong = static_cast<uint32_t>(prev);
+
+      // If this was the last strong reference, destroy the object
+      if (prev_strong == 1) {
+        T *obj = get();
+        obj->~T();
+
+        // If no weak references either, free the entire allocation
+        uint32_t prev_weak = static_cast<uint32_t>(prev >> 32);
+        if (prev_weak == 0) {
+          std::free(control_block);
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   template <typename U, typename... Args>
   friend Ref<U> make_ref(Args &&...args);
 
@@ -127,6 +238,10 @@ private:
 };
 
 template <typename T> struct WeakRef {
+  /**
+   * @brief Attempt to promote WeakRef to Ref
+   * @return Valid Ref if object still alive, empty Ref otherwise
+   */
   Ref<T> lock() {
     if (!control_block) {
       return Ref<T>();
@@ -155,12 +270,109 @@ template <typename T> struct WeakRef {
     return Ref<T>(control_block);
   }
 
-private:
-  explicit WeakRef(detail::ControlBlock *cb) : control_block(cb) {}
+  /**
+   * @brief Destructor - decrements weak reference count
+   */
+  ~WeakRef() { release(); }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Copy constructor from WeakRef
+   */
+  WeakRef(const WeakRef &other) noexcept : control_block(other.control_block) {
+    if (control_block) {
+      control_block->increment_weak();
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Copy constructor from Ref
+   */
+  WeakRef(const Ref<T> &ref) noexcept : control_block(ref.control_block) {
+    if (control_block) {
+      control_block->increment_weak();
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Copy assignment from WeakRef
+   */
+  WeakRef &operator=(const WeakRef &other) noexcept {
+    if (this != &other) {
+      release();
+      control_block = other.control_block;
+      if (control_block) {
+        control_block->increment_weak();
+      }
+    }
+    return *this;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Copy assignment from Ref
+   */
+  WeakRef &operator=(const Ref<T> &ref) noexcept {
+    release();
+    control_block = ref.control_block;
+    if (control_block) {
+      control_block->increment_weak();
+    }
+    return *this;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Move constructor
+   */
+  WeakRef(WeakRef &&other) noexcept : control_block(other.control_block) {
+    other.control_block = nullptr;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Move assignment
+   */
+  WeakRef &operator=(WeakRef &&other) noexcept {
+    if (this != &other) {
+      release();
+      control_block = other.control_block;
+      other.control_block = nullptr;
+    }
+    return *this;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Reset to empty state
+   */
+  void reset() noexcept {
+    release();
+    control_block = nullptr;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Default constructor - creates empty WeakRef
+   */
   WeakRef() : control_block(nullptr) {}
 
+private:
+  explicit WeakRef(detail::ControlBlock *cb) : control_block(cb) {}
+
   detail::ControlBlock *control_block;
 
+  /**
+   * @brief Release current weak reference and handle cleanup
+   */
+  void release() noexcept {
+    if (control_block) {
+      uint64_t prev = control_block->decrement_weak();
+      uint32_t prev_strong = static_cast<uint32_t>(prev);
+      uint32_t prev_weak = static_cast<uint32_t>(prev >> 32);
+
+      // If this was the last weak reference and no strong references, free
+      // control block
+      if (prev_weak == 1 && prev_strong == 0) {
+        std::free(control_block);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   template <typename U> friend struct Ref;
 };